Quick Start

Learn Claude Code essentials in 5 minutes

Quick Start¶

⚡ Not set up yet? One command does it all: curl -fsSL https://qcode.cc/install/claude-code.sh | bash (Windows: irm https://qcode.cc/install/claude-code.ps1 | iex). See One-Click Setup Script.

After completing installation and environment configuration, let's master Claude Code's core features in 5 minutes.

Launch Claude Code¶

Navigate to your project directory in the terminal and run:

cd /path/to/your/project
claude

You'll see Claude Code's interactive interface, ready to start a conversation.

Core Interactions¶

1. Understand Code¶

> What's the architecture of this project?
> Explain how src/auth/login.ts works
> Find all places that call the database

2. Generate Code¶

> Write a user registration API endpoint
> Add unit tests for the UserService class
> Create a React login form component

3. Edit Existing Code¶

> Refactor utils.js to improve readability
> Fix the memory leak in handleSubmit function
> Add TypeScript types to all public functions

4. Debug Issues¶

> Why is the user redirected to 404 after login?
> Analyze this error: TypeError: Cannot read property 'id' of undefined
> Investigate why the API response is slow

5. Git Operations¶

> Show me what files I've modified
> Commit these changes with a good commit message
> Create a PR description

Reference Files with @¶

Use the @ symbol to precisely reference specific files, letting Claude read their contents directly:

> Review @src/components/Header.tsx and optimize performance
> Compare @src/v1/api.js with @src/v2/api.js
> Analyze project dependencies based on @package.json

Tip: Press Tab after typing @ to autocomplete file paths.

Pipe Input¶

Pass output from other commands to Claude Code for analysis:

# Explain git changes
git diff | claude "explain these code changes"

# Analyze log errors
cat error.log | claude "analyze these errors and provide solutions"

# Review PR changes
gh pr diff 123 | claude "review this PR for code quality"

Common Slash Commands¶

Use / commands during a session:

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Initialize Project Configuration¶

On first use, run /init to let Claude analyze your project and generate configuration:

> /init

This creates a CLAUDE.md file containing:

• Project tech stack and architecture overview

• Common build and test commands

• Code style guidelines

• Project-specific conventions

Purpose of CLAUDE.md: Claude Code automatically reads this file on startup, helping the AI better understand your project context.

Practical Examples¶

Example 1: Add a New Feature¶

> I need to add a user avatar upload feature with:
  1. Support for JPG/PNG formats
  2. 2MB file size limit
  3. Auto-crop to 200x200 after upload
  4. Store in S3

Example 2: Fix a Bug¶

> User feedback: Page freezes after clicking "Save" button
> Please investigate the issue in @src/pages/EditProfile.tsx

Example 3: Code Review¶

> /review
> Focus on security issues and performance bottlenecks

Example 4: Smart Commit¶

> /commit

Claude will automatically:

1. Analyze all changes

2. Generate a proper commit message

3. Complete the commit

Efficiency Tips¶

1. Be specific: Clearly describe what you want, including constraints

2. Break it down: Split complex tasks into smaller steps

3. Interrupt early: Press Esc immediately if output isn't what you want

4. Use references: Use @ to specify files instead of letting AI guess

5. Maintain context: Claude remembers previous conversation in the same session

Next Steps¶

Congratulations on mastering Claude Code essentials! Continue with:

1. Explore CLI Tips for 34 practical tips

2. Learn Workflow Tips to boost productivity

3. Check out Codex Integration to use another AI tool